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Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Graduate students and interested parties who are interested in lectures pertaining to graduate research and thesis writing could now get them in DVD from ISDEV. These DVDs, based on lectures delivered at ISDEV Monthly Graduate Supervision (all in Malay), have been produced by ISDEV Media Unit and sold at a very low cost of RM5 each (excluding of postage).

Monday, October 29, 2007

[32] Then We have given the Book for inheritance to such of Our servants as We have chosen: but there are among them some who wrong their own souls; some who follow a middle course; and some who are, by Allah's leave, foremost in good deeds; that is the highest Grace.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Former ISDEV Research Associate Dr Zahri Hamat has been appointed as a contract lecturer at the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia for two years beginning 1 September 2007. He is attached to Development Planning and Management Programme at the School, teaching Economics for Development. Simultaneously, he continues to help School of Distance Learning to teach courses in Management Studies.

Dr Zahri also co-supervises Ekarat Sitisan, a Master student working on Potentials for the Establishment of Zakat Fund in Bangkok, Thailand. A couple more PhD candidates from Malaysia and Indonesia who will be working on Zakat are also expected to be co-supervised by Dr Zahri soon.

Currently, Dr Zahri also chairs the Organizing Committee of ISDEV Graduate Workshop III. The Workshop is an ISDEV annual occasion and specially organized for graduates working on Islam related research in universities worldwide. It will be held on 12-13 December 2007. In this Workshop, ISDEV Best Master Thesis Award and ISDEV Best PhD Thesis Award for 2007 will be given away to the winners.

In a very near future, Dr Zahri Hamat will be ISDEV Management Committee Member and will undertake a research with Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh on Zakat Accounting in Southeast Asia. The research investigates zakat accounting practices in Muslim majority countries of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, and Muslim minority countries of Thailand and Singapore. It will be funded by Research University Grant. Another research (consultancy project) on The Impact Study of Zakat Distribution in Penang would also be done by Dr Zahri with Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh and Dr Hasanah Abd. Khafidz. It is expected to be funded by Pusat Urus Zakat of the Religious Council of the State of Penang.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

ISDEV Research Associate Nor Azzah Kamri has submitted her PhD thesis. The title is Implementation of Islamic Code of Ethics in Islamic Development Organization: A Case Study of Lembaga Urusan Tabung Haji Malaysia. She has been working with ISDEV Director Professor Muhammad Syukri Salleh and ISDEV Management Committee Member Dr Zakaria Bahari. Viva voce for the thesis is expected to be held sometime in November 2007. When the exact date is confirmed, a mock viva will be held at ISDEV to familiarize and train her to face the real viva voce. After passing her PhD, Nor Azzah Kamri will return to and teach at Akademi Islam, University of Malaya.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

It was realized at the ISDEV In-House Seminar on 28 September that in Islamic Research Methodology, objectivity must be limited to `moralisitic objectivity' or `ethical objectivity' rather than `plain or absolute objectivity' as advocated and used by conventional research methodology. Moralisitic or ethical objectivity here means an objectivity that protects respondents' dignity and self-respect, based on Shari`ah.

That was one of the main discourses articulated during the presentation on "An Analysis of Research Ethics in Conventional Research Methodology" by Dr Mohamad Zaini Abu Bakar at the Seminar. Other discourses also include scrutinization on other research ethics proposed by the American Psychological Association (APA), such as limitation of capability and skills, protection of respondents' rights and dignity, avoidance of danger on respondents, protection and avoidance of abusement of respondents' secrecy, honest and unmanipulated presentation of research findings, and acknowledgement to those involved in realizing the research.

The Seminar concluded with an awareness that in Islamic Research Methodology, the factor that motivates a researcher's compliance of research ethical principles is iman, the practical application of the ethics is embedded in the principles of shari`ah, and the ultimate aim is to seek the truth and mardhatillah, the pleasure of God.